A blog to share security, networking and cloud related technology information as @vCloudernBeer picked up on his search for his destiny in the cloud. (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chowanthony)

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Introducing - OpenStack DefCore

When you pick a movie to watch, how do you decide which one to watch? Do you base on the movie title, story or who the main cast is?

One time I went to watch a movie because one of my favorite character was listed as the main cast. Two minutes into the movie my favorite character was killed in the movie. His twin brother, son not his ghost never came back into the movie. I was extremely disappointed.

To avoid this problem of product not performing as advertised in the OpenStack world where some commercial product is using the OpenStack trademark and in fact not delivering OpenStack functionality or characteristic. The OpenStack Foundation is forming a committee with the purpose of
defending the OpenStack trademark for commercial product claiming to be
powered by OpenStack by defining - DefCore.

What is DefCore?
DefCore establishes the required minimum feature set for OpenStack products. As mentioned in the above paragraph, this applies to commercial products only. According to Rob Hirschfeld(@zehicle) a member of the OpenStack Foundation, DefCore is a process that defines:

capabilities

designated sections of code

must-pass tests

These definitions use community resources and involvement to drive interoperability by creating the minimum standards of products labeled as - OpenStack™

DefCore Guiding Principles
While this is still in working process by the OpenStack Foundation DefCore committee, currently there are a list of "guiding principle" listed in GitHub:

Implementations that are Core can use OpenStack trademark (OpenStack™)

Core is a subset of the whole project

Core definition can be applied equally to all usage models

Claiming OpenStack requiring use of designated upstream code

Projects must have an open reference implementation

Vendors may substitute alternate implementations

Tests can be remotely or self-administered

A subset of tests are chosen by the Foundation as "must-pass"

The OpenStack board owns the responsibility to define 'core' – to approve 'musts'

At the OpenStack Vancouver summit, Jonathan Bryce at the keynote announced 16 companies has passed this test and is certified to bare the OpenStack label in their product. These are the 16 companies that are certified: